shock

"Painty?"

"Hm?"

"I, uh...I..."

Lightbulb quickly trailed off and fiddled with her hands, staring down at the grass. She was regretting this already.

What if Painty just gets mad? I'd just be throwing this at 'em outta nowhere...and they might not even wanna be friends anymore. God, I'm so stupid...

She sighed and frowned. It's not worth it, she decided. "Nothin'. Forget it." Paintbrush tilted their head with concern. "You sure? Sounds like you've got something on your mind."

"None of your business," Lightbulb whined, sticking out her tongue.

"Oh, come on, you always ask for MY secrets!"

"I knowww, but this one's really top-secret! You wouldn't like it anyway!" Lightbulb huffed and folded her arms.

"Huh? Why not? Did something bad happen?" Paintbrush leaned in a little - they had a right to worry about their closest friend, especially when there was almost nothing that could bring her down.

Lightbulb waved her hands in denial. "No, nononono! It's..." There was a pause. She took a deep breath and calmed her fidgeting. "I-It's fine. It's...great, actually. But you wouldn't wanna hear it. I just gotta...figure it out, I guess."

You don't have to know. Ever.

"Oh." PB leaned back and nodded. "Well, just...let me know if you need help with that. It's not like I'll hate you or anything."
"...Really?"

"Of course. Nothing you say could make me hate you, alright?" They gave the light a calm, reassuring smile, one that made her heart flutter. She could feel the words climbing back into her throat. Paintbrush...really cared about her, didn't they? Thus, she began again.

"Well...okay, so-..." Lightbulb's voice faded again, as if her heart refused to let those feelings escape into the world. But she'd already started talking again - she'd gone too far to turn back now.

"Sorry, I- I just- I w-"

No matter how many times she started over, she kept tripping over her words. Frustrated, she began to tear up and extended her legs, kicking them in the grass anxiously.

Paintbrush moved closer with worry and put a hand on Lightbulb's shoulder. "Hey, hey- shhh. It's alright..." They whispered. "Take your time. I'm right here."

That was just it: Paintbrush was there. It was just the two of them, away from everyone and everything else, sitting alone in a vast field as the sun descended in the evening sky. That was all Lightbulb had wanted for the longest time. PB's hand on her shoulder filled her with a rush of calm, yet her glow intensified as she felt her heart pulsing.

This was her chance - she just had to seize it.

Slowly, she took Paintbrush's hand from her shoulder and clutched it in both of hers. "Okay...d-don't freak out, Painty."

PB was slightly confused, but they bit their tongue. Right now, what mattered most was that they listened.

"So I...kinda...w...na...s'you," Lightbulb muttered.

"Sorry? Kinda what?"

"I said I- I just really...w...k...you..."

"Huh? Me? Lightbulb, you gotta speak up a little, I can't-"

"I just really wanna kiss you, okay!?"

Lightbulb shut her eyes as the echoes of her confession filled the empty field. Her light flashed even brighter, illuminating the night, and she held Paintbrush's hand closer and tighter. However, in her outburst, she created a small shock that caused PB to instinctively pull their hand away.

Once she'd dimmed down and opened her eyes, Lightbulb looked up to see Paintbrush shaking off the pain in their hand. When they looked back up at her, they froze and their face grew red.

"You...want to kiss me?"

Lightbulb whimpered and brought her knees to her body, wrapping her arms around her bent legs. She looked away tearfully with flustered regret. "...I-I'm sorry. That was really..." She sniffled. "Really stupid, I know. You can...you can hate me now. I told you that you-"

Before Lightbulb could finish, her attention turned to Paintbrush...laughing? Yes, they were laughing under their breath, much to the dim light's chagrin. "Well, geez," she snapped, "you don't have to rub it in! I get it!"

"No, no- You don't- You don't get it," PB replied as they calmed down. "I just...wasn't expecting that - at all."

There was a pause, a moment of silence that seemed to last forever, before they whispered again. 

"But...I'm glad."

Lightbulb froze. Paintbrush's quiet words shocked her even more than she'd shocked them.

Glad? What do they mean, glad!? Glad that I was honest with them? Glad that I said what I wanted to say? Glad that I love them?

....Wait.

Immediately she began to run her mouth, desperately trying to ignore the impossible truth that had just dawned on her.

"O-oh, really? Haha- Well, uh, thanks, Painty pal, er, good ol' brush fulla paint! I mean, y-you know what they say, yeah? Honesty is the best policy, I gue-"

Against her will, Lightbulb paused. She'd been shut up - shocked into blissful silence with a kiss. Paintbrush had swiftly leaned in, holding her face in their hands and bringing it to theirs. Softly, gently, they kissed her, slipping under an electrifying trance.

It was undeniable, and it only took a split second for the full force of that fantasied reality to hit Lightbulb. At that moment of realization, her eyes fell shut and she embraced Paintbrush, melting into the kiss. Electricity coursed through her body as she now glowed intensely, illuminating the night once more.

Once their lips parted, Paintbrush smiled at Lightbulb, who was lost in their gaze. It was a sweet, caring smile, one she'd only ever seen when it was just the two of them - and now it made so much more sense as to why. She grinned back at PB and leaned backwards.

"Whoa-!" Paintbrush exclaimed as they were pulled down with her. Together they hit the soft bed of grass, faces inches apart and locked in an embrace. They laughed a little on impact, weightless in each other's arms as their burdens lifted from their shoulders. The warmth emitting from Lightbulb put Paintbrush at ease. The light herself relaxed as she ran her fingers through PB's soft bristles - she'd wanted to do that for so long. She'd wanted to tell them, to hold them close, to feel their warmth, for so, so long. Now, as she laid there, under a blue sky of pure white stars, gazing silently at the one she loved, she was certain.

Paintbrush...really loved her, didn't they?